"Part Five. Long Live the King!"
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artists: Jesus Saiz, Cliff Richards and Bob Wiacek
Publisher: DC Comics
Plot: In the wake of the death of Maxwell Lord, Brother Eye initiates the next phase in its programming.
Commentary: As a concept I still hold to the theory that Villains United is the best of the four mini-series that are leading up to Infinite Crisis. In actual execution, I think that OMAC Project has been the best on a dramatic level. The twists and turns this story has taken have made it, month to month, one of the most exciting stories that I have read in a while.
I remember reading an interview of Greg Rucka before this series came out, and he said something to the effect that by issue four this series will do a one-eighty and become something totally different. He wasn't lying. The story had changed from an almost spy thriller/detective story to an all-out war. Right after Wonder Woman killed Maxwell Lord, it occurred to me that when Max died something far worse would be unleashed and it has. The O.M.A.C.s are loose. All of them and I get the feeling that by the time the series is over a lot of people are going to die.
The pacing of this series has been fantastic. It isn't an easy read, mostly because of how Brother Eye and the O.M.A.C.S. communicate (warning, don't read this book if you have a headache, it makes for a painful reading experience), but it is an exciting read because the story has taken so many turns not only in plot but in character as well. I was kind of hoping for something of a happy ending for Sasha, but given the characters history and what Rucka has done with her in the past I shouldn't have expected that.
If anything, this issue had the best ending of any comic from last month. I closed the book after I had finished reading it and thought, "Oh man. This is going to be bad and there's still an issue to go before Infinite Crisis."
This type of thing is why I read comic books in the first place.
The art in this book serves the overall feel. There were some very good visual moments, like the "Giffen League" descending on the O.M.A.C. that was attacking Rocket Red. Rocket Red's sacrifice was also a nice piece of art as was Sasha's transformation. The switching of artists part way through was a good move and served to give the scenes their own feel and mood.
Final Thoughts: Man, talk about a bad day. Between what happened to Sasha and the activation of the other O.M.A.C.s, I am really looking forward to the next issue. I don't know about the rest of you, but for me DC has given me that "can't wait to read the next issue" feeling with the comics that I buy. I have not been this excited about the comics I read on a monthly basis in a very long time.
What did you think of this book?
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